In use, a data packet (e.g., an Ethernet packet) can be sent between peripheral processing devices 111-116 via portions of the switch fabric system 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a data packet can be sent from a first peripheral processing device 113 to a second peripheral processing device 115 via path 170. The first peripheral processing device 113 can send the data packet to the edge device 181 via link 192. The edge device 181 can then prepare the data packet to enter the switch fabric 110 by disassembling the data packet into multiple data cells, which are then sent by the edge device 181 to the switch fabric 110 via link 193. The switch modules within the switch fabric 110 can route the data cells through the switch fabric 110 via one or more of the multiple paths within the switch fabric 110. The data cells are sent to the edge device 183 via link 194. The edge device 183 can reassemble the data cells into a data packet that is identical (or substantially identical) to the original data packet and then send the data packet to the second peripheral processing device 115 via link 195.